Connection device for an electrical apparatus

ABSTRACT

A copper-clad conducting pattern plate carries contact pins projecting on the side away from the copper layer and mounts a pair of diodes on the copper-clad side in addition to making connections there with the terminal leads of a magnet winding. The injection molded thermoplastic spool of the winding has projecting support posts on which the conducting pattern plate rests, as well as catches to hold it there once it has been snapped into place. The support posts, the conducting pattern plate and the base of the contact pins, as well as the diodes, are located inside a hollow threaded stud for securing a mating connector. The inside of the hollow threaded stud may have all vacant space filled by a potting resin or a thermoplastic material.

United" States Patent [1 1 Naser et al.

[451 Feb. 4, 1975 CONNECTION DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS [75] Inventors: Joachim Naser, Nurnberg; Fritz Horn, Lichtenau; Ludwig Specknew, Nurnberg; Theo Sturm, Neukirchen; Olal' Schmid, Schwalqaoh; Erich Ebenhoh, Ansbach; Karl Berthel, Roth, all of Germany [73] Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany [22] Filed: Oct. 25, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 409,501

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data I Oct. 25, 1972 Germany 2252167 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,662,086 5/1972 Hessinger 339/17 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 647,233 8/1962 Canada 336/96 1,523,092 3/1968 France 339/147 P Primary Examiner-Roy D. Frazier Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J, Staab Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William R. Woodward; Flynn & Frishauf [5 7] ABSTRACT A copper-clad conducting pattern plate carries contact pins projecting on the side away from the copper layer and mounts a pair of diodes on the copperclad side in addition to making connections there with the terminal leads of a magnet winding. The injection molded thermoplastic spool of the winding has projecting support posts on which the conducting pattern plate rests, as well as catches to hold it there once it has been snapped into place. The support posts, the conducting pattern plate and the base of the contact pins, as well as the diodes, are located inside a hollow threaded stud for securing a mating connector. The inside of the hollow threaded stud may have all vacant space filled by a potting resin or a thermoplastic material.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures mama CONNECTION DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS This invention'relates to the connection portion of an electrical apparatus having an operating winding, such as an electromagnet, in which two or more contact pins are connected to at least two terminal connections of an operating winding and also to at least one additional electrical circuit component.

Connection devices of electrical apparatus, particularly electromagnets, that perform important switching functions, must be built with connection structures providing contacts that are as reliable as possible. At the same time, however, the connection pins of the apparatus, together with whatever circuit components must be associated with them, should take as little space as possible and preferably be so arranged that they may be potted with a thermoplastic material so as to exclude disturbing environmental influences.

It is an object of this invention to provide a connection device foran operating winding of an electrical apparatus such as an electromagnet which on the one hand is so formed that it provides good contact with the operating winding, and on the other hand permits various other electrical components pertaining to the electrical apparatus to be mounted on the connection device. It is a further object to provide such a connection device in physically compact form. It is a still further object of the invention to provide such a connection device so that additional features, as, for example, sealing against environmental conditions, provision of threads for fastening or covering nuts, sealing flanges, strips and ribs for lengthening electrical leakage paths, and so on, may be included.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, a copper-clad conducting pattern plate is provided on which the contact pins are fastened and the terminal connections of the operating winding, the contact pins and the additional electrical circuit component or components carried on the structure are electrically connected to the conducting pattern plate. The latter, moreover, rests on at least two supports connected to a carrier body of the operating winding and is held there by at least two resilient catches extending from the aforesaid carrier body.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an electromagnet and its connection device and also the mating socket therefor;

FIG. 2 shows, on a larger scale, a cross section of the same electromagnet and its connection device;

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in cross section, of the conducting pattern plate of the connection device, together with the contact pins; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the conducting pattern plate with its contact pins.

FIG. 1 shows an electromagnet 10 designed to serve for the actuation of a valve 11. The electromagnet 10 is fastened to the valve 11 by screws 1-2 and 13. An outwardly threaded hollow stud 14, with threads 15, extends upward from the top of the electromagnet 10. Contact pins l6and 17 extend upwards out of the stud 14. Inside the stud 14 are connections between the contact pins 16 and 17 to an operating winding of the electromagnet 10, these connections not being recognizable in this figure of the drawing. Also inside this stud are located additional electric circuit components. After the terminal connections of the winding and the electronic circuit components have been put in place and the necessary connections made, the space enclosed by the stud 15 is filled with a thermoplastic material or a potting compound, such as a suitable resin.

The mating contacts for the contact pins 16 and 17 are socket-type contacts such as the one shown in dashed lines at 18 in a mating plug 19. An electric conductor 20 is connected to thesocket contact 18, so that when the mating plug 19 is properly set on the contact pins 16 and 17, an electrical connection to the electromagnet is provided. For holding the mating plug 19 fast on the contact pins 16 and 17, a securing nut 21 is provided which is screwed onto the outer thread of the stud 14.

FIG. 2 shows the construction of the electromagnet and its connection device in cross section on an enlarged scale. The operating winding 23 of the electromagnet 10 is wound on an injection molded carrier body or spool 22 made of thermoplastic material. An iron core 24 is inserted inside the spool 22. The core 24 has a cavity 25 in which another core, not shown in the figure, is slidably held for actuation of the valve 11. Support posts 26, 27 and 28 are provided in the upper part of the carrier body 22 on which a copper-clad conducting pattern plate 29 tests. In the drawing, where one support post 28 is visible, it must be understood that another support post is provided opposite it, so that the conducting pattern plate 29 rests, in all, on four support posts. The support posts 26, 27 at either side in the drawing each have a common socket 30, 31 with a holding catch, shown at 32 and 33, respectively. When the conducting pattern plate is pressed down against the support posts 26, 27 and 28, the holding catches 32 and 33 latch into place with their hooked ends 34 and 35 engaging the upper edge of the conducting plate 29 and hold the conducting pattern plate 29 against the support posts 26, 27 and 28. A plate 36 separates the winding portion of electromagnet 10 from the connection device composed of the hollow threaded stud 14 and its contents.

The copper-clad conducting pattern plate 29 of the connection device of electromagnet 10 is further shownin FIGS. 3 and 4. It may there be seen that the contact pins 16 and 17 pass through holes 37 and 38 in the plate 29 and are riveted or crimped on the rear side ofthe plate 29 so as to hold the contact pins 16 and 17 on the conducting pattern plate 29. The conducting pattern of the copper-clad side of the plate 29 is composed of several separate conducting segments 39, 40 and 41, providing conducting paths between components or terminals to be connected. The contact pin 16 is connected to the conducting segment 39, while the contact pin 17 is connected with the conducting segment 40. Two diodes 42 and 43 are connected to the segments 39, 40 and 41, one of them between the segments 39 and 41 and the other between the segments 40 and 41. In order to save space, cavities or apertures 44 and 45 are provided in plate 29 in which the bulk of the diodes 42 and 43 is partly taken up. The diode 42 serves to short-circuit the reverse kick when the coil circuit is interrupted, whereas the diode 42 serves for protection against misconnection of the electromagnet 10 to the wrong polarity. The terminal connections of the operating winding 23 of the electromagnet are run 3 through the slots 46 and 47, respectively, between the support 27 and the catc'h 33 and between the support 26 and the catch 32, and thence to the conducting pattern plate 29 where they are soddered to the appropriate conducting segments.

After the work of making the connections has been done, and the conducting pattern plate 29 has been snapped into place to complete the assembly of the connecting device of the electromagnet 10, the vacant space of the connecting device inside the hollow stud 14 is filled with a potting resin or a thermoplastic material so that the connection device and the winding 23 are protected from moisture and other disturbing influences.

In the arrangement above-described, the threading of the terminal connection of the winding through the slots 46 and 47, respectively, to the conducting pattern plate 29 is of particular advantage. With this dressing of the terminal leads, these lead wires are thoroughly protected when the connection portion of the apparatus is filled with a potting resin or a thermoplastic material,.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment, it will be understood that variations and modifications may be made within the inventive concept.

We claim:

l.-A connection device for at least one operating winding of an electrical apparatus such as an electromagnet, said connection device having at least two terminal connections connected to said winding, carrying at least two contact pins, and having the improvement that:

said device includes a copper-clad conducting pattern plate (29) to which said contact pins (l6, 17) are fastened;

said terminal connections of said winding (23), said contact pins (l6, l7) and said electric circuit components (42,43) are connected with said conducting pattern plate (29);

said conducting pattern plate (29) rests against at thereof and is at least approximately centered on said axis;

said supports and said resilient catches are separately constituted to the extent necessary to assure that displacement of said catches produced by seating said pattern plate does not produce any substantial displacement of said respective catches, and

said resilient catches are collectively surrounded by a protective collar of insulating material coaxial with said winding. 2. A connection device as defined in claim 1 in which said catches (32, 33) and said supports (26, 27, 28) form part of said carrier body (22) for said operating winding (23), said carrier body, including said parts, being made of a thermoplastic material.

3. A connection device as defined in claim 1 in which four supports (26, 27, 28) are provided for said conducting pattern plate (29), of which two (26, 27) are coordinated with said catches (32, 33), so that said catches (32, 33) and said two supports (26, 27) have a common pedestal (30, 31).

4. A connection device for at least one operating winding of an electrical apparatus such as an electromagnet, said connection device having at least two terminal connections connected to said winding, carrying at least one additional electric circuit component and at least two contact pins, and having the improvement that:

said device includes a copper-clad conducting pattern plate (29) to which said contact pins (16, 17) are fastened; i

said terminal connections of said winding (23), said contact pins (16, 17) and said electric circuit components (42,43) are connected with said conducting pattern plate (29);

said conducting pattern plate (29) rests against at least two supports (26,27,28) connected to a carrier body (22) for said operating winding (23) and is held in place by at least two resilient catches extending from said carrier body (22), and

said terminal connections of said operating winding (23) are guided in slots (46,47) between said catches (32,33) and said supports (26,27) in passing from said winding (23) to connections of said conducting pattern plate (29). 1 

1. A connection device for at least one operating winding of an electrical apparatus such as an electromagnet, said connection device having at least two terminal connections connected to said winding, carrying at least two contact pins, and having the improvement that: said device includes a copper-clad conducting pattern plate (29) to which said contact pins (16, 17) are fastened; said terminal connections of said winding (23), said contact pins (16, 17) and said electric circuit components (42,43) are connected with said conducting pattern plate (29); said conducting pattern plate (29) rests against at least two supports (26,27,28) connected to a carrier body (22) for said operating winding (23) and is held in place by at least two resilient catches extending from said carrier body (22); said conducting pattern plate is oriented perpendicular to the axis of said winding (23) near one end thereof and is at least approximately centered on said axis; said supports and said resilient catches are separately constituted to the extent necessary to assure that displacement of said catches produced by seating said pattern plate does not produce any substantial displacement of said respective catches, and said resilient catches are collectively surrounded by a protective collar of insulating material coaxial with said winding.
 2. A connection device as defined in claim 1 in which said catches (32, 33) and said supports (26, 27, 28) form part of said carrier body (22) for said operating winding (23), said carrier body, including said parts, being made of a thermoplastic material.
 3. A connection device as defined in claim 1 in which four supports (26, 27, 28) are provided for said conducting pattern plate (29), of which two (26, 27) are coordinated with said catches (32, 33), so that said catches (32, 33) and said two supports (26, 27) have a common pedestal (30, 31).
 4. A connection device for at least one operating winding of an electrical apparatus such as an electromagnet, said connection device having at least two terminal connections connected to said winding, carrying at least one additional electric circuit component and at least two contact pins, and having the improvement that: said device includes a copper-clad conducting pattern plate (29) to which said contact pins (16, 17) are fastened; said terminal connections of said winding (23), said contact pins (16, 17) and said electric circuiT components (42,43) are connected with said conducting pattern plate (29); said conducting pattern plate (29) rests against at least two supports (26,27,28) connected to a carrier body (22) for said operating winding (23) and is held in place by at least two resilient catches extending from said carrier body (22), and said terminal connections of said operating winding (23) are guided in slots (46,47) between said catches (32,33) and said supports (26,27) in passing from said winding (23) to connections of said conducting pattern plate (29). 